


Kingdom Come

by reallydontcare4



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst, Brooke's the princess of Pinkberry, But still in modern setting, Fluff, Guard!Christine, Guard!Jenna, Guard!Rich, Handmaiden!Chloe, I wrote this over the span of weeks because I cannot commit, Jeremy's stupidly self-sacrificing, Jeremy's the prince of Middleborough, Jeremy-centric, M/M, Not actually very graphic, Prince!Jeremy, Princess!Brooke, Rebellion, Squire!Jake, Squire!Michael, War, and everyone else hates that, but there is violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-01
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-12-22 10:56:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11965950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reallydontcare4/pseuds/reallydontcare4
Summary: Jeremy Heere is the prince of Middleborough, leading an anxious and lonely life.Then, he manages to befriend two squires, becoming very close to one in particular, and for once, everything seems okay.Until the Rebellion.(aka I have no idea how to summarize this please read it)





	Kingdom Come

Jeremy Heere was 5 when he first saw him.

 

He'd escaped from the guard that was assigned to watch him by asking them to get him water and slipping away when the other's back was turned.

 

Thus, Jeremy ran as fast as his short legs could go, finding his way off the castle grounds and hurrying to the main square in the village. He'd always seen it from his room but he was forbidden by his mother from going. The whole escape was based on impulse, and the adrenaline began to wear off as he looked at the unfamiliar surroundings. He felt overwhelmingly small and lost, people pushing every which way.

 

Tears began filling his eyes and he desperately wished his parents were here with him. Jeremy moved to wipe his face with his sleeve but was stopped by a sudden voice.

 

"Hey... are you okay?" He turned quickly to see a boy around his age. He had dark messy hair and brown eyes that looked at him with curiosity. Jeremy stared back. He had never seen anyone his age before. He'd heard his parents speak of children of nobles in the area, but they never mentioned their age and Jeremy himself had never met them. All the royal staff were adults, and the young prince wasn't able to leave the castle very much.

 

He felt anxious and intimidated as the child watched him, but he brushed away his tears and nodded anyways. The boy beamed and stepped closer. Jeremy felt oddly comforted by his smile, and found himself returning it. Suddenly, the square didn't feel so lonely anymore.

 

"Good. I don't like being sad, and I don't want you to be sad either. I'm Michael." He held out his hand expectantly, and Jeremy hesitated for a second before shaking it.

 

"I'm Jeremy. I was sad because I got lost." He explained, shuffling his feet and feeling a little embarrassed now.

 

"Oh. Do you wanna wait here until your parents come?"

 

Jeremy nodded excitedly. This was it, he was finally making a friend!

 

They talked about what they liked and played small games for a while, but it wasn't long before a royal guard found him. From the way the guard was looking at him, he knew he'd be in a whole lot of trouble, but he thought it was worth it. He got to meet Michael, and Michael was cool. As the guard pulled him away and reported to the others that he'd found the prince, Jeremy turned around and waved at Michael, who was watching the whole thing with awe on his face. Nonetheless, he grinned and waved back at him.

 

Later that night, Jeremy looked out his window and hoped that he'd see Michael again after he stopped being grounded.

 

He did not.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twelve years later, a frazzled boy jumped around, trying to pull on a pair of pants with one hand and patting down his unruly brown hair with the other. Jeremy had woken up far too late, a situation which was unfortunately not uncommon. He hurried out of his room and almost ran right into Jenna Rolan, who'd been assigned his guard despite her young age. She'd shown incredible skill in fighting and got along well with the prince; she definitely deserved her position.

 

"Thank god, you're awake. I had to go tend to the guests for a while but I thought you'd be up by now. Your mom's not happy, you'd better get down there."

 

Jeremy groaned, quickening his pace as they hurried down the hall together.

 

"Ah, Jeremy." His mother said coolly as he entered the room. "This is Lord Dillinger and his wife."

 

Jeremy smiled awkwardly at the couple and looked down, fidgeting anxiously.

 

"Our son, Jake, is your age, but he's out in the courtyard training with another squire. He's training to become a knight, you know." Mr. Dillinger said smugly. Jeremy could tell that he told people this a lot.

 

"Jeremy, why don't you go out and meet him?" His mom gave him a look that meant he didn't have a choice. His father and she'd been trying to get him to socialize more, do some networking with future nobles and rack up a good reputation.

 

He wandered outside and Jenna dutifully followed. Indeed, out in the courtyard there were two boys sword fighting each other.

 

Jeremy watched for a bit before one of them noticed him. He stopped and immediately turned to bow his head, only to be hit lightly on the side by the other's sword.

 

"BOOM. You're dead, I win!" The other boy cheered. "Why did you even-"

 

The boy froze as he caught sight of the prince, instantly looking mortified and bowing his head respectfully.

 

"Prince Jeremy, it's an honor to have you join us." The first one said, looking up. He had blue eyes and brown hair like Jeremy, but he looked more put together and was more well built. "I am Jake Dillinger and this is Michael Mell."

 

Michael gave an aborted little wave as he looked up, but he seemed to pause and tilt his head as he examined Jeremy's face. Normally, Jeremy would have felt insecure under such scrutiny, but was distracted himself by the familiarity of this stranger. He had dark brown hair and eyes that gave Jeremy the nagging feeling that he'd seen them before. Not to mention, this guy was attractive. Really attractive. His hair looked so soft, and he had beautiful tan skin, and the glasses that framed his eyes made them look-

 

Both boys were snapped out of their trance as Jenna cleared her throat. Jeremy flushed red, but Michael was slightly more successful at hiding his own blush.

 

"Pardon me, your highness. You just look... nevermind." Michael shook his head and looked down. Jeremy wondered if Michael recognized him from somewhere, too, and tried harder to remember where.

 

Jenna smirked at him and he looked away, choosing instead to introduce himself to Jake. Along the course of the next hour, Jeremy learned that Michael and Jake were both training to be knights, and often did so together when they could. He learned that Michael liked vintage video games and also owned a copy of Apocalypse of the Damned, which was Jeremy's favorite game. Jake liked sports and ping pong, and got into a debate with Jenna over which one of them would win in a game.

 

Apparently, as squires, Michael and Jake would both be training in the castle more often, taking care of their duties and being apprentices to the older knights. Jeremy felt relieved in knowing that he'd see them more often. He was holed up in his room alone a lot, and could only rely on games to take him so far.

 

It eventually became late and they parted ways. As Jenna escorted him back to his room, Jeremy couldn't stop the smile from taking over his face.

 

"I know they'll be busy with their duties and all, but do you think they'd want to play games with me sometime? Maybe Michael and I could beat The Cafetorium together... I hope they weren't just being nice because I'm the prince. Do you think they were-"

 

"No, Jeremy." Jenna interrupted. "I think they're great, and I think you're great, and I think you've finally opened yourself to socializing with people your age who aren't me. See you tomorrow. You gotta get some rest if you're gonna spend your time partying now."

 

Jenna fondly ruffled his hair and he let out a noise in protest. He wished her goodnight and went into his room, but he didn't fall asleep for another hour, instead mulling over the events of the day and the newfound companionship of two kind squires.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thankfully, he did get to see the other boys again. Though they were often busy training, they found time to hang out. They'd play random games for hours, bonding through bad jokes and competition. Jake usually watched the two others playing, inserting random comments here and there, but he surprisingly demolished them at Mario Kart every time they played. Jenna herself gave sarcastic remarks but didn't involve herself much, due to the fact that she was technically on duty for the prince.

 

Jeremy still couldn't quite place where he'd recognized Michael from, despite his best efforts. Finally, the answer came on a quiet evening, when Jake was off doing some chores around the castle. Michael and Jeremy sat on the floor mashing buttons on their game controllers, concentrating hard on the game. They died for the hundredth time and both groaned. Jeremy fell back, laying down on the floor, but Michael just watched him.

 

"Have you..." Michael hesitated. "Were you ever in the town square?"

 

Jeremy thought about it for a moment before replying.

 

"Yeah, once. When I was five, I escaped my guard and ran off. I feel kind of bad, because the guy got fired, but I met this one kid my age who made it worth it. He was the closest thing I got to a friend at the time. All I remember is he had dark hair and eyes and..."

 

Jeremy's eyes widened in realization, mouth forming a neat little 'o' as he took in Michael's baffled expression.

 

"Holy shit! It _was_ you! Man, I thought it was a dream. You were just the cool little kid that got dragged away by a guard. I really wanted to see you again, but you disappeared." Michael chuckled in disbelief, a grin spreading across his face. "I guess I finally found you though, didn't I?"

 

Jeremy found himself smiling back. _That's_ where he knew him from? Michael was that kid from 12 years ago? Jeremy had been 83.4% sure he had either been an angel or a hallucination.

 

"Yeah, I thought I'd imagined you or something." He blushed a little, looking down. "Twelve years later, here we are. Must be fate, I guess."

 

Michael smiled softly down at Jeremy, who was still sprawled on the floor.

 

"Must be."

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael Mell turned out to be the best thing that had ever happened to Jeremy. They'd only officially known each other for a few months, but they had become extremely close already. Jeremy was also good friends with Jake, but the other squire was quite popular and had a lot more people to spend his time with, while Jeremy and Michael mostly just had each other.

 

The prince's anxiety had actually been receding for the first time in his life. It definitely wasn't gone completely, but Michael's presence was a calming and grounding constant that he came to rely on.

 

They clicked so well, like they were made specifically for each other. Michael spent all his free time hanging in Jeremy's room, and they vented to each other and worked through Apocalypse of the Damned together. Jeremy had once made a comment about visiting Michael's house, but Michael had gotten flustered and brushed it off, insecure about his own poverty. It was probably for the best, he supposed. His mother would never let him leave the castle for long enough.

 

They were listening to music and just lying around one day when Michael decided it was time he got something off his chest. Jeremy had closed his eyes and was thrown horizontally across his bed, legs hanging off the edge and arms spread to the side. Michael was spinning in a desk chair, going faster and faster before hugging his knees and letting the chair slow down on its own.

 

He took a second to reorient himself and bit his lip. He needed this to go well, he didn't know what he'd do if it didn't.

"Hey, Jer?"

 

Jeremy made a noncommittal noise of acknowledgement, not opening his eyes. _Here goes nothing,_ Michael thought.

 

"Have you ever met someone that was gay?" He blurted, just barely stopping himself from actually smacking himself in the face.

 

Jeremy opened his eyes and pouted in adorable confusion. _Damn it, not now, gay thoughts._

'I don't think so. I don't really know."

 

"Well, you have now."

 

Jeremy sat up, turning to look at his best friend, who was red-faced and determinedly staring at the ground.

 

"Are you saying that you're..."

 

Michael hesitated for a moment. "Yeah."

 

It was silent for a moment, and it was Michael's turn to close his eyes, though for a different reason than Jeremy had. Michael was just about to fumble through a horrifyingly awkward excuse to leave and never come back when Jeremy spoke.

 

"Okay." Michael froze. He opened his eyes to see Jeremy right in front of him, smiling kindly.

 

"Okay?" He breathed.

 

"Okay." Jeremy repeated, putting a comforting hand on Michael's and looking curious. "Did you think I'd make you leave?"

 

"You wouldn't be the first one." Michael muttered bitterly. His leg had been jiggling nonstop, which Jeremy noticed. He moved to intertwine his hand with Michael's, and Michael looked up at him, surprised.

 

"How's your anxiety?" Jeremy asked softly, knowing how worried his friend must've been about his response.

 

Michael felt a warmth spread through his chest as he smiled genuinely. "Better, thanks to you."

 

Jeremy plopped himself on the ground and the boys spent the next hour listening to music again, neither moving to detach their hands.

 

"I don't know what I'd ever do without you." Jeremy whispered honestly, not fully sure Michael even heard him.

 

"You'll never have to." Michael responded, squeezing his hand.

 

There were no words for how they felt at the moment. It was so peaceful, like nothing would ever tear them apart. As long as they were together, nothing bad would happen.

 

They were wrong.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was only a week later when things began to fall apart. It started with just a rumor, whispers spreading throughout the kingdom.

 

There was to be a rebellion, they said. Someone's going to overthrow the castle, someone's going to kill the king. As far as anyone knew, there was no real evidence behind such words, but the words themselves were enough. The whole castle was on alert, and no one was sure what to do. Guards were sent out to investigate any trace of the rebellion out in the village, scouring through the gossip to try to find a scrap of truth. Security on the royal family tripled, and the rooms never stopped bustling with activity, plans being made in the case of an attack.

 

Jeremy almost never left his room, constantly being monitored by several different guards at once. He began training to fight, learning defensive skills and the best strategies for survival. Every day was another reminder that it may be his last, and another class on how to make sure it isn't. He barely got to see glimpses of Michael at all in the following months, despite usually being in the same building. Seeing as they upped the security measures, all those training to be knights had gotten unofficial promotions. After, of course, extensive interrogation and tests to their loyalty for the Heere family. Michael, Jake, and Jenna therefore underwent nonstop training, working their skills and running through possible scenarios that could occur.

 

It made Jeremy overwhelmingly sad to see the newly knighted kids practice, for they were just that: kids. Some of them had been relatively new squires, and were as young as 15. They were all risking their lives for their kingdom, and the promise of a fight that would never be as grand as the stories that were told.

 

His mother and father oversaw everything that was happening, making sure everything was covered, double checking that Jeremy at least had a safe escape plan if they were to fall. It was horrifying to know that he would have to leave his family to die if it came down to it, but everyone told him he had no choice.

 

With these new circumstances and no access to Michael, Jeremy's anxiety reached new heights. He was far too aware of his own breathing and heartbeat, always on the edge of a panic attack. If this rebellion were to actually happen, it could happen at any time. During breakfast, or lunch, or dinner, or even in the middle of the night. This fact never eluded Jeremy, forcing him into an uncomfortable paranoid state. His senses were all on alert and he was extremely jumpy, so when the guards so much as moved too fast, a jolt of fear would tear its way through Jeremy's stomach.

 

It was an odd feeling, being constantly aware of your own impending death. It easily eats up any other thought, tinting everything will a dull dread. He no longer had to worry about his tutoring lessons, because he was too busy learning to fight with a sword. He no longer had to think about how he looked, because everyone else was too busy scanning for assassins. It was almost as if he should feel relieved at the lack of these things, especially since the rebellion could very well have just been a rumor.

 

But Jeremy somehow found himself longing for those old worries. They gave him some sort of semblance of normal. Yes, he was royalty, but he was also seventeen. A teenager. He groaned about essays, procrastinated studying, and stressed over his appearance. It's what he's supposed to do. He wasn't supposed to have to learn to be a light sleeper in order to hear intruders, or have to be lectured on how to leave everything behind. On that matter, his friends shouldn't have to give up their lives for Jeremy's, as if his was somehow worth more because of his genetics. They shouldn't have to dread every day wondering if they'd die, or spend every morning trying to think of new ways to defeat an enemy. Couldn't they just be seventeen?

 

His wishes went unanswered and his thoughts unvoiced, each day continuing to be a repetition of the last. The guards had found some proof of a building rebellion, but they couldn't get much out of what they found. As if it were even possible, everyone became even more on edge.

 

This confirmed that there was a threat. Even worse, this confirmed that they knew next to nothing about it. Everything became far too real, and it was clear that everyone was afraid. Normal townspeople were too intimidated to leave their houses very much, for vandalism and crime rates went up with more security being relocated to the castle. Life morphed into this nightmare of chaos, as the bright blue sky that once seemed beautiful fell to pieces all around the kingdom.

 

Jeremy's training continued on, and he'd never hated himself more. He was so uncoordinated and clumsy, he might as well just stab himself with his own sword. It would at least save everyone some time. Moments all blended together, days becoming weeks in the blink of an eye. Jeremy lost the ability to immediately tell what day of the week it was, instead often guessing to himself using what he was pretty sure the day was a week or two ago.

 

The whole ordeal seemed as if it would never end. Jeremy went to bed every night praying for peace, or at least a relatively quick death.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It happened in the middle of a quiet, unsuspecting night. Everything was silent and still, and the closest they ever got to peaceful anymore. Then, the world exploded. Jeremy was jolted awake by a shout outside, and it seemed to trigger an onslaught of noise. Lights flashed outside, fires blazing and eating away at the wooden fence around the stable. Screams were everywhere, pained cries mixing together with the endless clash of metal on metal.

 

In a moment of pure blind panic, Jeremy sat there and began to hyperventilate. _Oh god, this was it._ Jeremy Heere was about to die. The castle was being overrun.

 

Suddenly, like a switch being flipped, he jumped into action. His body ran on automatic as his mind completely blanked, no actual thoughts coming through as he naturally ran through all the tactics and escape routes he'd been taught over the past month or two. Now was not the time for panicking, the fate of the kingdom could be resting on his shoulders. He had to escape, in case the castle was taken over. He had to build up a new army, he had to take back his family's place.

 

He scrambled to put on his protective gear as fast as he could, making it out the door in record time. He took a second that he didn't really have, hesitating just outside his room. There were a lot of memories in that room, and there were a lot of things he wished he didn't have to leave behind. But he'd had a bag pre-prepared with the most important things he'd need for his journey, in case he had to do it alone, and he had no room for anything else. Fighting back tears, he turned and began sprinting down the hall.

 

Turning a corner, he stopped abruptly. So did the rebel across from him. His heart jumped into his throat as his hand slipped into his bag, tightly gripping his dagger. A sword would have been too clunky and heavy to carry around, ultimately being deemed unsuitable for what was supposed to be a sneaky escape. He took a few steps backwards, keeping his eyes firmly on the threat. To be honest, he was under no impression that he'd be able to just turn tail and run, for the guy would clearly just chase after him. He couldn't bring himself to attack the guy yet, though. He'd never actually had to hurt anyone, let alone with the intent to kill. This was it. This was what everything had been leading up to. He didn't feel at all ready for it.

 

The rebel had on mostly dark clothing, with the exception being an electric blue bandana wrapped around his neck, the word "Upgrade" messily scrawled onto it.

 

There was a surreal moment of nothing, where neither made any sort of move. Then, slowly, a grin grew on the rebel's face, causing Jeremy's expression to further morph into one of fear.

 

"Well, well." The guy spoke in a low, confident tone. "What have we here? Looks like I get to be the lucky one who guts the prince. Just wait until I show the king and queen what your insides look like."

 

Jeremy had barely a second to be horrified and disgusted at the words before there was suddenly a sword piercing the rebel's abdomen. It slid out as quickly as it'd been in, and the guy gasped as he crumbled to the ground, clutching his unexpected wound.

 

To Jeremy's intense relief and slight horror, Michael stood behind him, panting heavily and wielding the bloody sword. His horror increased when he realized just how much blood Michael actually had on him.

 

"Jeremy." Michael sounded strange, panic edging his voice as he spoke quickly, approaching the prince. "You have to follow me, we have a plan. Kind of."

 

Jeremy didn't bother questioning who this 'we' was. He trusted Michael with his life, and he just wanted this to be over. He looked into desperate brown eyes and the weight of this sunk in. Michael was only seventeen years old, and he had seen more death and blood today than anyone should in a lifetime. Jeremy had been so worried about the weight on his shoulders, he hadn't given enough thought to what his friends must have been facing. He took Michael's hand and allowed himself to be led down the winding halls, entering in and out of secret passages that he'd been mapping for weeks.

 

Finally, they burst out into fresh air, near the back of the castle. They paused for a second to track the nearest enemies, but allowed themselves to relax just a little as they hid out of sight. Jeremy clutched his chest and tried to get himself under control and Michael held onto his hand tightly. They both looked up at the sound of intense fighting, followed by the soft clip-clop of some horses. Jake and Jenna rode up to them silently, each mounted on a black steed.

 

"Thank God, you're here. You need to go, _now_." Michael said forcefully, pushing Jeremy towards Jake's horse.

 

"We took care of the rebels near the east exit, we can escape through there. Prince Jeremy, take my hand and swing your leg over the horse." Jake offered his hand, and Jeremy almost took it before Michael's words fully sunk in.

 

He retracted his hand as if he had been burned, whipping around to stare at his best friend.

 

"What do you mean, _'_ _you'_ need to go? You're coming with us." He stated matter-of-factly.

 

The three others shared uneasy looks.

 

"No, Jeremy, I'm not. I have to stay behind and make sure no one follows you." Michael explained slowly.

 

"No, no you don't. You're coming with us." Jeremy insisted.

 

"Jer, it's okay! I'm a knight, it's my job! I have to."

 

"But you'll die!" Jeremy pleaded desperately, but Michael stood firm.

 

"I'm okay with that!"

 

"I'm _not!"_ Jeremy said forcefully. "Why the hell should I get priority, why shouldn't you live?"

 

Michael's expression softened a little, but showed no sign of yielding.

 

"You're Prince Jeremy Heere, and I'm... Michael. I've always just been Michael. This is just the way things are. Now please, you _have_ to get onto the horse. You _have_ to escape, Jer, you have to _live_. _Please."_

 

Tears flowed freely down Jeremy's face as he shook his head.

 

"Jeremy, come on! We have to get out of here, we don't have much time!" Jenna pleaded, and Jeremy shook his head harder.

 

"N-no. No, I'm not leaving without Michael." He took a step away from the horse, and Jake cried in frustration.

 

"Michael, please, _I can't live without you_. Life would be unbearable. Leaving you behind is condemning me to the same fate as if I had stayed. Please, Micah, I'm begging you. Take my hand and come with me. Please." His voice sounded so broken and young as he reached out his hand and stared into Michael's eyes.

 

Michael breathed heavily, eyes darting everywhere for impending threats or possible solutions, before they settled on determined blue ones, locked onto his own. He did the only thing he could.

 

He took Jeremy's hand.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They rode for the entirety of the next day, and they'd made it a decent distance away when the sun began to go down. They decided it was safe enough to stop for a break. Jake started setting up a camp as Jenna checked their surroundings, silence settling over all of them like a thick blanket. No one wanted to talk about what had happened the night before.

 

An hour after they stopped, they were all sitting around a little fire, chewing through the food they had packed for the trip. The quietness of it all felt like it was going to drive Jeremy insane, and he couldn't take it anymore.

 

"So," he started, as three pairs of eyes looked up from the dancing flames. "D-do we know who survived?"

 

The others blinked, and Jeremy cursed his own stupidity. He'd been with them nonstop after their escape. If they'd gotten any news, he would have seen it.

 

"If the King and Queen escaped, they'll meet us at the neighboring kingdom." Jenna said slowly, watching Jeremy carefully.

 

Jeremy swallowed hard. _If_ the King and Queen escaped. If his parents survived. Sure, his dad could be irresponsible, and his mom was often harsh and demanding, but they were still his parents. He still loved them, and he knew they loved him too. The thought that he could be the only one left, or that they may have still been alive when he'd escaped without them, gave him a painful and nauseated feeling in his stomach.

 

Michael and Jake looked sadly at each other before focusing back on their own food, and Jenna scanned the trees again, double checking on the places behind the prince. She'd been extremely paranoid on their ride, and she kept treating Jeremy like glass. When he'd gotten off his horse, she'd held onto his arm to make sure he didn't somehow fall. It was kind of irritating, but everyone understood. As far as they knew, Jeremy was the last of the Heeres, and he needed to stay alive. If something happened to him, all of this would have been for nothing. People would have died or lost everything, for nothing. There was a noticeable tension in the air.

 

Jake had dealt with the stress by completely repressing it, moving robotically and constantly staying busy. If he focused too much on his feelings, it would all come flooding in like a dam breaking, and he couldn't have that. He knew he had to do his duty, and nothing would stop him.

 

Michael was just blocked off from the others. He'd helped to make the fire, and he handed out the food, but he never responded to the looks sent his way, and he had hardly looked up at the others. Every time Jeremy tried to touch him or anything, Michael would twitch a little and jerk away, finding a reason to be somewhere else.

 

The fire started to die, but none of them wanted to go to sleep yet. Michael got up to get more wood, and Jeremy scrambled to his feet to follow him. When they were far enough away that the others wouldn't be able to hear them, Jeremy tried once more to reach his friend.

 

"Michael! Come on, talk to me!"

 

Michael said nothing, choosing to squat down and inspect a stick for possible timber.

 

"Michael, I'm serious. Please! Are you mad at me? I saved your life!"

 

"I didn't ask you to!" Michael burst out as he shot up to face Jeremy. In his surprise, Jeremy stumbled back a few steps.

 

"Wh-what do you mean?"

 

"I didn't ask to be saved, Jer, I was supposed to die! And yeah, I'm glad I didn't, but who the hell am I to live? I didn't deserve to! So many others died there, and I was supposed to be one of them. So many others were lost, and I somehow get a free ticket out without looking back?! Why the hell should I get to survive?!" He ranted in a distressed and frantic voice, waving the stick around as he spoke.

 

It was silent again for a moment as Michael caught his breath and Jeremy watched him sadly.

 

"None of them deserved to die." He said weakly. "But that doesn't mean you should've. At least I got to save one person, and I will never regret that it was you."

 

"Jeremy..." Michael said, sounding thirty years older and so, so tired. "That could've been a lot worse than it was. We got lucky. Anyone could have easily followed us, because I wasn't there to hold them back. You shouldn't have risked your life for mine."

 

"Why not?!" Jeremy cried, sick of hearing how his life was higher than everyone else's. "Why do I get to be so special?"

 

"Because you're royalty, a Heere, and the whole entire kingdom depends on you. Nothing depends on me."

 

"Maybe I do." Jeremy admitted quietly.

 

"These were the roles we were born to play." Michael whispered as he stepped forward and grabbed Jeremy's hand, not breaking eye contact. "They may not be easy, or even fair, but we have no choice. Play the part you were given, Jer. Be the prince they all need."

 

Jeremy bit his lip as he tried not to let his emotions spill out. Michael watched him for a moment, before sighing and stepping back. The brunette's breath hitched as Michael bowed respectfully.

 

"Goodnight, my prince." He said softly, letting his arm brush past Jeremy's as he picked up the wood and left.

 

Jeremy stood there for a moment, reflecting over the past month. Why did life have to be so hard? He looked back at the camp, and at the three teenagers that his life depended on, wondering what he must have done in a past life to make this a reality.

 

He took a deep breath and headed back to the others, letting the night fall to silence once more.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It took another day for them to reach the new kingdom. Everyone was still kind of silent, but there was an inexplicable bond beginning to solidify between them. As the sun rose, it painted the sky in beautiful soft hues of pink, orange, and blue. The four of them found themselves exchanging small smiles as they watched.

 

They mounted their horses, Jenna riding with Jeremy and Michael riding with Jake, and continued on their small journey. As they arrived at the entrance of the nearby kingdom, each of them subconsciously scanned for threats.

 

The townspeople didn't seem to know how to react to their new presence. Several stopped and stared as they rode through on a path to the castle, but many turned away. They were almost afraid to interact at all, as if their mere acknowledgement could bring their war and strife with it.

 

The kingdom itself was quite lovely, with small cobblestone roads and honest-looking people roaming the streets. Jeremy stared at the town center and struggled to remember a time long ago, a small boy staring curiously at him. Back when his biggest trouble was getting caught trying to escape, or getting lost in a crowded square. They passed by a group of small children playing a game, and a lump formed in his throat. He found himself smiling as the kids went by, some stopping to watch them in awe. He wished he had been able to have that, and that his companions were able to be as free and light-hearted as the young ones that lined the street. His heart ached for simpler times, and he turned his head away before he could delve too deep into messy topics he couldn't handle.

 

His mind kept repeating what Michael had said the other night, and he wondered if he had been right. These were the roles they were born to play. He had no say in who his parents were. No one asked him if he wanted this life, or any at all. He was simply handed the title 'Prince Jeremy Heere' and brought into existence, thus sealing his fate, and the path he had to take. Michael, Jake, and Jenna were all born into the roles of townspeople, and had to work as hard as they could to even be in the same building as Jeremy. Now that they had chosen their roles, they had to follow them. The soldiers, the pawns, the casualties in the war.

 

Pawns start feeling a lot more important once you see them up close. Casualties become less... casual. Jeremy'd heard the statistics of other lands having fought their battles, but they always seemed small and tacked on with a story of recovery or such. Each of those numbers had a family, and a life. They all gave everything for what they believed in, just to become a statistic to be studied.

 

A nudge broke him out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see that they'd arrived at the gates of the castle. They creaked open, and the foursome rode up to the main entrance, where four youths around their age stood waiting.

 

One Jeremy recognized as Princess Brooke Lohst, heir to the throne of Pinkberry. She had soft blonde hair and a yellow dress, with a blue shawl draped off her shoulders. She wore a carefully open expression, one Jeremy recognized from his own years of diplomatic training. Closely to her right was a tall brunette who eyed them warily. Two people, who Jeremy assumed were guards, stood a few feet away on either side of Brooke. One was surprisingly short, with a bright red streak in the middle of his hair. The other was a girl with short brown hair and an excited smile on her face, though she appeared to be trying to hide it.

 

Jake gracefully dismounted his horse and reached up to help Michael do the same. Jenna swung her leg around and landed just fine, but Jeremy almost fell as he attempted to copy her motions. He stumbled upright as he got off and gave an awkward smile and wave to the others, who watched him closely. Great first impression for a new ally to make.

 

They exchanged greetings, and Jeremy learned that the confident brunette was named Chloe, the short guard was named Rich, and the friendly-looking one was named Christine. Of course, he'd already known who Brooke was, and vice versa, but he introduced himself along with his friends nonetheless. Apparently, Chloe was Brooke's personal handmaiden, and often just followed her along to give her advice and help with small inconveniences. Rich and Christine were, indeed, guards, despite their being slightly young. This was likely due to different rules and a smaller kingdom than that of Middleborough, where the Heeres (used to?) rule.

 

Brooke kindly showed them to each of their guest quarters, which were very close to each other. That night, Jeremy met the King and Queen of Pinkberry, trying his best to make his small talk come off as charming rather than stilted. He felt stressed and worried now that his journey was done, because now a new part of his duty began. He either had to wait for his parents to arrive safely, or start building up an army with the help of the new allies. Jeremy didn't sleep much that night, too scared that his parents wouldn't show up the next day, and that he'd be forced to accept their death along with a whole new spotlight.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When the next day inevitably came, Jeremy pulled himself out of bed and staggered down the hall. As he quietly ate his breakfast, he felt eyes on him. The importance of this day was lost on no one. Thankfully, a messenger burst through the doors at noon with a notice of a horse riding in from Middleborough.

 

Jeremy hurried outside, closely followed by Michael, Jenna, and Jake. They all brought out some sort of weapon with them in the case that a rebel had followed them. All three relaxed and bowed their heads in respect as the rider became visible, and the Pinkberry royal family stared intently.

 

King Heere rode up to them alone with a somber look on his face. Jeremy grinned out of pure relief and bounded forward as his father carefully slipped off his horse.

 

"Dad!" He cried happily. "I was so worried and I-"

 

He stopped, confusion bleeding into his face as he glanced behind his father to the gates.

 

"Where's Mom?"

 

King Heere didn't even look up at him, and if he didn't verbally respond to his son, no one would have known he'd seen him at all.

 

"She... she didn't make it."

 

Jeremy's face morphed quickly into one of horror as a small whine escaped his throat and his hand shot up to cover his mouth.

 

"Wha-" His father pushed past him and bowed down to the Lohst family, leaving Jeremy frozen behind him.

 

The King and Queen spoke to him in hushed tones before sending a guard to show him to his room. It was silent in the courtyard, and the monarchs departed back into the building. The Pinkberry crew seemed entirely unsure of how to respond, but Christine seemed slightly less hesitant to step forward along with Jeremy's friends, leading the others to do the same.

 

Their words of sorrow and comfort didn't reach his ears. He just kept staring at where his father had stood. He'd seen death, and he'd imagined all the horrors he left behind, but now it was official. Now there was no going back, because this was his reality. His mother was gone overnight, and he would never see her again.

 

Nothing would ever be the same.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A week later, the people of Middleborough seemed to be sort of settling in to their temporary home. The circumstances weren't ideal, but everyone did their best to fit in and keep moving forward. Throughout the past week, others who'd escaped the attack rode in. Many took a little longer than the royals had because they travelled alone and had to hide out from the enemies before being able to slip away. Some had to take more stops for food because they didn't have as many resources provided for them as Jeremy did. Word spread of all the newcomers in Pinkberry, and the residents kept a careful eye on them. Still, there were no clear issues other than not being used to different people, and the alliance between the two groups was slowly growing stronger.

 

Jeremy didn't recognize most of his subjects who came, but Jake and Michael went out whenever a knight from their kingdom arrived, checking who of their friends had survived. During their training for the fight, the ex-squires had spent a lot of time around each other, and a bond formed between all of them. It made it that much more painful when the battle itself began. It was good to see those who'd escaped, especially since it added a new friend to join them in still vaguely unfamiliar territory.

 

Jeremy's friends seemed to be fitting in well enough with their counterparts. Jake had become closer to Rich, and they often passed the time sparring together and joking around. Similarly, Jenna had befriended Christine. She was fond of Christine's energy, and the girl always seemed to pay rapt attention to Jenna when she spoke, which Jeremy could tell meant a lot to her. In fact, if he didn't know better, he'd almost think that his friends were becoming smitten with the Pinkberry guards. It was nice to see them have this reprieve, especially because he heard noises at times during the night, of one or more of them jolting awake in cold sweat, a pained cry escaping them as they left behind the memories of what had happened. None of them mentioned it, but there was a sort of wordless support that they all shared.

 

He himself was having a rough time adjusting. He knew the others were still completely changed from the battle they had witnessed, but they were very slowly getting better with the help of their new friends. Or they were just getting better at hiding it. Either way, Jeremy wished he could be like them. Though he'd never been particularly close to his mother, her death had hit him hard. She was a constant throughout his life, and she was always telling him what to do and when to do it. Now she was gone, and his entire world was collapsing. He was on his own.

 

He spent a lot of time around Michael, using the excuse of needing him to help with plans or with building the new army to fight the rebels. He found his presence comforting, and he could tell Michael felt the same. They were still a little stilted from the argument they'd had the night after the battle, but Michael didn't flinch so much when Jeremy rested his head on his shoulder, and that was enough for him.

 

The King was even worse off than Jeremy was. He barely ever left his room, and he was completely disconsolate whenever Jeremy went to check on him. Each time, nothing answered his knocks, so on the third day he let himself in. His father had been lying on the bed staring up, wearing only a t-shirt and boxers. It was odd seeing him so casual, because usually he was reminded to stay formal and regal by... well, by the Queen. When he did wander out of his room, he neglected to put on any sort of pants, and just sort of grunted at people as he got coffee and maybe a bag of chips before stumbling back.

 

Jeremy had managed one solid conversation with him, but his father hadn't really paid much attention to what his son was saying. He was entirely too focused on himself, which made sense in his state of grief.

 

However, this meant that Jeremy really was on his own. Since his father rarely came down or showed his face at all, everyone turned to the prince to make the big decisions as the leader of Middleborough. He always knew this day would come, but the spotlight felt more like a sun, and it burned a hole through him. Still, he couldn't do anything to stop it.

 

Jeremy had lived his entire life up until now doing what he was told, following his parents' orders mechanically. It was like everything he did was out of his hands, he was just handed a script for each day. Now it was off-book, and everything was thrust upon him, with no parent to tell him what was right. He was just lucky enough to be surrounded by supportive people. He'd been getting closer with the main four that they'd met, though Chloe admittedly intimidated him a little.

 

He'd only been in Pinkberry for three days before she pulled him aside, glaring at him. It was silent for a solid two minutes before he'd spoken.

 

"So... what's up?"

 

"I know you're a prince from another kingdom and all that, but you'd better be careful with Brooke." She warned, pressing a manicured nail into his chest. "I don't know what your intentions are, but don't hurt her if you want to stay in one piece."

 

Jeremy choked for a minute and felt himself flushing red.

 

"I-I don't... I wasn't going to..." He stammered, and Chloe looked thoroughly unimpressed at him. "I think she's got her eye on somebody else... and I kind of might as well."

 

Chloe's cheeks went pink as she took in this new information, and she gave him another warning look before stalking off. It was true, he'd seen the way Brooke looked at Chloe. He knew he was young and naïve or whatever adults always say, but he knew enough to know that it was different from how she looked at everyone else. Jeremy thought the look she gave her might even be one of love, and from the sort of shovel talk Chloe had just given him, it might just be reciprocated.

 

He also hadn't been lying when he'd mentioned his own feelings, though he wasn't sure about that. All he knew was that he felt gooey inside when Michael smiled at him, and that he thought about him a lot. In his defense, a lot of things reminded him of Michael. Like that tea that Michael had once made a pun of, or the book that might interest him. So what if Jeremy had butterflies in his stomach when his friend walked into a room? That was a normal thing friends did, right?

 

Or not.

 

Fine, he was maybe also really into his own best friend. Jeremy had been working hard to suppress it along with everything else though, and he let himself enjoy the feelings without opening up the can of worms that was their source. It was just nice to feel a giddy rush flow through him, seeing as his current situation often left his dopamine levels lacking and his cortisol levels having a field day. It's not like he had the privilege of worrying about it now anyways, what with everything else piling up.

 

On the ninth day since their arrival, though, Jeremy couldn't find Michael anywhere. No one around the castle had seen him, and he started to get really worried about it. Someone told him a few knights were going down to the town to relax a little and maybe recruit some more people, and he tried to tell himself Michael must have gone with them. That was it, that had to be it.

 

Please, god, let that be it.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A day after that, a body turned up in the town square. It had been a young knight who'd fought for the Heeres at the battle for Middleborough. The knights who knew him took it hard, and a ceremony for those who were lost was quickly organized. Everyone was affected, because of the boy's age and the way his body had been discarded in public like that.

 

The people of Pinkberry were getting riled up at this obvious threat to them. The royal family was just barely managing to keep them under control. Luckily, they were already loved by their people, so their orders were begrudgingly listened to despite the concerns.

 

To make matters worse, a note was pinned to the body. It was addressed to the Heere family, and gave a time for the two armies to meet, promising that there would be severe consequences if they didn't show. The last part was directed specifically for the prince, speaking of a 'special surprise' that he wouldn't want to miss out on.

 

Jeremy's stomach felt like it was eating itself at that. He had no idea what it meant, but it certainly wasn't good. What if it had something to do with Michael's sudden disappearance? What if he was being held captive, or already dead?

 

These thoughts continued to plague him as everyone discussed what they should do. A few of the guards thought they should ignore the warning and risk the consequence. They thought the rebels must be bluffing, and that either way protecting the King was more important. However, the overall decision was left to him, as his father was still out of commission and the note was addressed to them. If he was right, and the rebels had somehow captured Michael, then there was no choice. He had to at least try to save him. Michael meant the world to him, and Jeremy didn't think his feelings for him were completely platonic either. He couldn't leave him to die. He refused to.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They collected their army of Pinkberry and Middleborough soldiers and prepared themselves for the battle. Luckily, they knew what weapons the rebels used, so they wouldn't be caught as off guard as they had been before.

 

The King had come along for the battle, seeing the seriousness and importance of the moment. He may have been falling apart, but he couldn't leave his son to face this alone. As Jeremy rode up alongside his father at the meeting point, he ran over their positions. They had the front lines that would fight the main part in position behind the royal family. The archers would take a little longer to get into their hidden places, so he'd just have to try to stall to get the upper hand.

 

Across from them, the rebel army stood tall. They all had forms of electric blue to show their allegiance to their leader. The person they called 'Squip'. Jeremy didn't know where they came from, but what he did know was that they were remarkably good at persuading people and controlling their actions, which is how they'd so quickly formed a rebellion. He was pretty sure Middleborough wasn't the first place to be devastated by their madness.

 

"Good afternoon, Heere family." Squip greeting calmly, before faking shock and dismay. "Oh no, where's the Queen? Did she sleep in? How embarrassing."

 

Jeremy's grip tightened on his sword, and he saw his father do the same. It was silent for a moment, and, seeing that his father wouldn't, Jeremy finally responded.

 

"You called this meeting, Squip. What is it you want?"

 

"Oh, it's not so much what I want, Jeremy. It's what you want." Squip smirked eerily.

 

"And what do I want?" He asked warily.

 

"Him."

 

One of Squip's men pushed someone forward, a bag covering their head. The rebel fisted the top of the bag and ripped it off, kicking the back of their legs and making the person fall to their knees.

 

It was Michael. He had bruises on his face, and his lip seemed to be split, but his expression was stone, staring forward neutrally. He wouldn't let them get a rise out of him. A gasp that Jeremy suspected was Jenna came from somewhere off to his right.

 

"Let him go." Jeremy said slowly, fighting to keep his voice level.

 

"Ah, you see, I can't do that just yet. I think we can make a deal here." Squip said this confidently, as if discussing something as simple as what to have for lunch.

 

"What do you want?" Jeremy asked again, some of his panic seeping into his words.

 

"You. Trade your life for his." The King gasped, and Jeremy's soldiers began to draw their weapons. He put a hand up to signal them to stop.

 

"Why him?" Jeremy asked.

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"Why use this boy to get to me? Why should I risk my life for him? He's just..." Jeremy paused, hating what he was about to say. "He's just some stupid knight. I'm the prince, my life is inherently more valuable than his."

 

Maybe if he played dumb, Squip would think they had less of an advantage. He saw Michael flinch slightly at his words, but tried hard to act nonchalant. To his horror, Squip laughed right back. They were too smart for that.

 

"Oh, come now, Jeremy. I've had my eyes on you. You didn't actually think you escaped, did you? I've seen what this 'stupid knight' means to you."

 

Jeremy fell silent, and everyone waited for his reaction.

 

"Sir," Jenna whispered from beside him. "Shall I start an attack? Our archers aren't in place yet, but I see no other choice."

 

There was one other choice. An option that could save Michael. An option Jeremy might just have to take.

 

He slid off his horse.

 

"No!" His dad gasped, trying to scramble off his horse to stop him. "Jeremy, please, I can't lose you too!"

 

Jeremy took another step forward, but faltered at his father's words.

 

"You can take care of them, Dad. I was never cut out for the spotlight. I know it's hard now, but you're stronger than you think. I love you."

 

He kept moving forward, shrugging off Jenna's attempts to hold him back. Michael's face broke into one of fear as he shook his head desperately.

 

"Jer, no, you can't do this!" He begged, and his captor shoved a cloth in his mouth to silence him.

 

Jeremy felt strangely calm as he crossed the empty space between the two armies. Everyone was silent and still, as if in disbelief that he was actually doing it.

 

 _I think I love you._ He found himself mouthing to his best friend, who knitted his brows together and tilted his head slightly, making it clear he hadn't understood. That was probably for the best.

 

There were tears in his eyes, and Jeremy wanted to wipe them away. He felt simultaneously terrified and at peace. He didn't want to die, but he would if it could save Michael. And he knew his dad would find a way to make things right again, even if he was going through a rough time. He was the King, after all, and he damn well deserved the title.

 

He swallowed hard as he stopped in front of Squip's horse, and they chuckled darkly down at him.

 

"God, everything about you is terrible." Jeremy fought his urge to shrink back at their disgusted tone. "You're weak, and idiotic. How could anyone ever think you were fit to rule a kingdom?"

 

The man holding Michael shoved him forward into the empty space, roughly grabbing Jeremy to take his place. Another stepped forward and whipped out a dagger, and Michael flinched as he sliced through his bonds. He lingered, not wanting to leave Jeremy, but he had no weapon to fight with.

 

"Isn't this just a tragic ending to a horrible life. I might just be doing you a favor." Squip sneered. "Goodbye, Jeremy Heere."

 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the rebel behind him raise his sword to strike him. Jeremy squeezed his eyes shut, but not before he saw the fear written all over his father's face, the sadness of his friends, and the absolutely broken brown eyes that stared back in terror.

 

The rebel swung the sword down, and a single scream of _"_ _No!"_ pierced the air, though Jeremy wasn't sure who it was. He heard the horrific sound of metal hitting flesh, and stood frozen for a moment before he realized he hadn't been hit.

 

Opening his eyes, he saw his would-be executioner on the ground, an arrow through his head.

 

 _Huh. The archers must finally be in position._ He thought blankly as everyone watched in shock.

 

There was a single moment of nothingness as it sunk in, before everything descended into complete and utter chaos. The rebels began charging because of this apparent attack, and Jeremy found himself in a hail of arrows flying down, all barely managing to miss him. The all-too-familiar sounds of war filled his ears, and he was entirely disoriented as he tried to get a hold on what was happening.

 

Someone grabbed his wrist and pulled him away, shoving him into a little hiding spot behind a large rock that sat a few meters from the fight. Jake stood there, breathless and wide-eyed.

 

"Dude, that was so irresponsible, what the hell were you thinking?!" He whispered harshly.

 

"I... I had to save him." Came the weak response. Jake ran a hand through his hair stressfully as he peeked over the rock to the battle zone.

 

"Jesus, man, you are way too important for that. I love Michael too, but do you realize how much we depend on you? You're far too valuable for that, when are you going to get it through your thick head? This isn't the time for your morals shit, this is reality." Jeremy just stared at him, and he sighed heavily. "Alright, I'm going to return to the fighting. I think I saw someone taking care of the King, so I need you to stay here until you find a safe way to escape, got it? Make sure you get out of here alive."

 

The prince nodded wordlessly and Jake accepted it, clapping him on the shoulder before throwing himself back into the action. That could be the last time he sees his friend. He wished he'd said more.

 

He looked over the rock as well, and saw that his hiding spot seemed to go mostly unnoticed. There was a horse conveniently nearby, maybe he'd be able to ride back to Pinkberry. But would he be willing to leave all his people behind to fight by themselves? Could he do that again? He'd let enough of his men die at the hands of Squip. To his dismay, he couldn't seem to locate the leader. Where could they have gone?

 

"Hello, Jeremy." The voice behind him felt like freezing cold ice had been poured down his spine.

 

He slowly turned to see Squip, looking cocky as they spun a dagger on their finger.

 

"Everything about you makes me want to die." Squip told him rather matter-of-factly. "But unfortunately, I have to stay alive to rule the kingdom where you couldn't. So you'll have to die in my place."

 

They started to walk closer, and Jeremy shrunk against the rock, wishing he had some sort of defense against his attacker.

 

"Jeremy!" a voice called, and both he and Squip looked to the side to see Michael holding a sword a couple feet away. He must have gotten it from a fallen soldier or something.

 

He threw the sword at Jeremy, who just barely caught it. It was a risky move, considering how clumsy Jeremy was, but he was grateful nonetheless. Squip was taken aback by all this, and in that split-second of vulnerability, Jeremy thrust the weapon into their gut.

 

They automatically dropped the dagger, falling to their knees in shock. Michael took the opportunity to sprint by, grabbing Jeremy's hand and running. A moment later, a rebel spotted their injured leader and yelled to the others. Several flocked around him, and he was no longer visible. Many didn't know what to do, and the Pinkberry Middleborough army took full advantage, knocking down a significant portion of them. The rebels seemed to be retreating as Michael practically vaulted onto the horse, surprisingly graceful. He turned and held his hand out, voice breathless as he spoke.

 

"Are you coming?!" He cried to an unmoving Jeremy. The prince did the only thing he could.

 

 

He took Michael's hand.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael slid off the horse the moment it stopped in the courtyard of the castle. Jeremy did the same, and the other began scanning him for any possible injuries. His eyes lingered on Jeremy's left shoulder, and he looked to see that he was sluggishly bleeding from a cut there. Now that the adrenaline was fading, the numb feeling turned into a stinging pain as he registered the wound. Without saying anything, Michael broke off a piece of cloth from his clothing under his body armor, tying it firmly around the prince's wound.

 

Jeremy opened his mouth to thank him, but found himself closing it a moment later. The two boys stared at each other for a while. He tried once more to say something, but Michael looked down and suddenly hurried off.

 

Jeremy stood there for a bit, wondering what had just happened and where he'd gone wrong again. Some time later, his dad rode up on a horse, followed by a decent amount of their men. Relief flooded through him as he ran up to greet him. King Heere dismounted his horse and hugged his son tightly. As soon as he pulled back, he started lecturing his son about how reckless he'd been, how he could have died and how devastated it would have left him. Both Heeres were just glad the other was okay.

 

Apparently, after Squip had been stabbed, their men had seemed far less confident in their fight. They're not sure if Squip is actually dead or not, but they know they're at least gone for now, and that the Heeres have gained enough power back to reclaim their kingdom.

 

The others were upset at his decision on the field as well. Christine gave him the silent treatment for a day, then hugged him really hard and told him never to do that again, and Rich just punched his arm harshly and told him to stay safe. Chloe said he was an idiot, and Brooke warned him against impulsive actions while in power. Jake was a little more split, because he was thankful that Jeremy had saved Michael, their mutual friend. Still, he was sort of pissed that Jeremy had been willing to just throw everyone else's sacrifices to the wind for some spur-of-the-moment hero bullshit. Jenna had been quiet as she followed him to his room, and watched him begin packing.

 

"It was stupid, what you did. Brave, but really, really stupid." She said simply.

 

"I know." He replied, not looking up from his small bag of belongings.

 

"Michael must mean a lot to you." Jeremy looked up at her and she searched his face.

 

"Yeah. He does."

 

Jenna stared a little longer, then nodded slightly to herself and turned to the door, falling back into her usual position as his guard.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few days later, they'd made it back to their kingdom and settled in again. The rooms felt emptier without the Queen, and the townspeople that had remained loyal were shaken from the takeover, but ultimately, everyone was glad it was over. New squires began training, and the old ones kept their titles as knights. The King had found motivation again, trying his best to be the ruler they deserved. He and Jeremy grew closer, and they kept in contact with their strong allies in Pinkberry.

 

Michael was still a mystery, as he'd been avoiding Jeremy to the best of his ability ever since their return. Whenever he would enter a room that Michael was in, the other would make a random excuse and scurry away. No one else seemed to know why he was doing that, but Jake and Jenna said he acted more distant to everyone, becoming particularly uncomfortable at mention of the prince.

 

Jeremy couldn't take it anymore, so one day he let himself into Michael's guest room and waited for his return. When his friend finally arrived, he didn't immediately notice the other. He was looking at the ground with a miserable expression, turning his back to Jeremy and closing the door. He looked up as he shifted back towards the bed, instantly freezing at the sight of the brunette boy on his bed. Jeremy gave an awkward wave, and Michael made a move to leave.

 

"Wait!" Jeremy said, reaching out to him desperately. Michael stopped in his tracks but didn't turn to look at him. "W-Why are you avoiding me?"

 

Michael murmured out something that Jeremy didn't understand, and he repeated his question.

 

"It doesn't matter." He finally said, glaring at his shoes.

 

"It does to me." Jeremy insisted, standing up indignantly.

 

"Please leave."

 

"No." He crossed his arms and stood his ground, gaining confidence. "Why are you avoiding me?"

 

"Because you're too goddamn self-sacrificing!" Michael cried, throwing his arms out to either side and taking Jeremy by surprise. "I'm avoiding you because it's dangerous, Jer. You're too willing to let go for other people, and I can't be the reason you die! I just can't, okay?! I'm not worth it, so just... stop. Please."

 

He was breathing heavily by the end of the rant, running his hand anxiously through his hair. Jeremy's shoulders drooped, and he clenched his jaw sadly.

 

"I'm sorry, but I can't just stop caring about you. I... I'd like to think it'd be the same for you."

 

"Why not?" Michael asked, not denying the second part.

 

"I know it seems really hard for you to get, Michael, but you aren't just a random person. You're my best friend. Hell, you're more than just my best friend, Michael. I love you."

 

Michael was silent, and Jeremy nervously wrung his hands as he waited for his reaction. He couldn't read his expression, and that scared him a lot. Michael had been a fairly open book when they hung out, and Jeremy had gotten pretty good at reading him. When Michael finally spoke, it completely threw Jeremy for a loop.

 

"Why?" Out of all the responses he'd imagined, this was not one of them.

 

"W-What? What do you mean, 'why'? I-I'm sorry, this was stupid, I shouldn't have said anything. If you don't feel the same-"

 

"No! No, I-I definitely feel the same, I love you more than anything, but I'm just surprised because... I mean, come on." Jeremy's irritation at the 'prince-means-better-than-you' excuse being brought up yet again was far overpowered by his joy and relief at Michael's reciprocation. He liked him back!

 

Jeremy felt a giddy rush and couldn't stop the smile from taking over his face, seeing Michael mirror it.

 

"Does this mean we're together?" His grin slipped off his face at Michael's hesitance.

 

"I don't know if that's such a good idea, Jeremy. I don't like that I'm a weakness. What if someone tries to use me against you again?"

 

Jeremy moved forward and grabbed Michael's hands, looking him in the eyes.

 

"Squip's gone, alright? And if they ever come back, we can handle it. The kingdom is recovering amazingly, so they'll never get that amount of power again. I'm never leaving you."

 

"Promise me you won't prioritize my life over your own?" Michael's face was deadly serious, and Jeremy nodded once.

 

"Yes." He said, though he knew he was lying.

 

Michael smiled tentatively at this and leaned in gently to kiss him. Jeremy melted into it and felt deliriously happy. It might not have been the most amazing kiss (it was, after all, a first for both of them), but it felt perfect, and he was grinning brightly as he pulled back. There was one thing he knew for sure, and it would never change.

 

He would do anything for Michael Mell.

**Author's Note:**

> Looking over this, I'm kind of embarrassed about the quality of it, but I spent a long time on it, so I'll post it anyways. I hope you liked it well enough! Please comment what you thought! I crave that sweet sweet validation.  
> I might do an epilogue or follow-up oneshots (probably fluff) if this is well-received, because I can't get this AU out of my head.


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